Daughters of Magic
by Theory G
Summary: When Snow White gave up her right to rule, everyone's fates changed. Emma grew up with three siblings and a vengeful hate for someone she'd never met. Belle escaped from her tower and rejoined Rumpelstiltskin. Regina raised a daughter to be her heir...But what happens, when the Savior and her Guardian must face the Evil Queen's curse themselves?
1. Introduction

_When Snow White gave up her right to rule, everyone's fates changed. Emma grew up with three siblings and a vengeful hate for someone she'd never met. Belle escaped from her tower and rejoined Rumpelstiltskin. Regina raised a daughter to be her heir...But what happens, when the Savior and her Guardian must face the Evil Queen's curse themselves?_

...

Introduction:

Many years ago, a sorcerer opened a small tattered journal, dusty and old, long forgotten within the stuffed shelves of his brilliant library. Something about it lured him to it, though he couldn't see it.

When he found it, he unraveled the leather knot, holding the book shut, and flipped through the pages, written in an ancient language only used by the people who'd once owned the very palace he know inhabited - hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

The journal seemed to be dedicated to a soul subject; a collection of visions and dreams, bloodlines and magic.

Interested, the sorcerer sat down and opened up to the first page where a prophecy was written:

_Two shall meet through a vow of hate,_

_Dependent on each other by an unknown fate._

_Bonded by adventures and triumphs,_

_Their friendship will form,_

_And withstand our world's greatest storm._

_Betrayal made by a mother and father,_

_One will fall before for the other._

_Until a child reunites them,_

_Sealing the fallen one's outcome,_

_As one of Death's victims._

"Well…Damn," was all the sorcerer could say.

...


	2. What Do the Bells Mean?

The bells rang, echoing across the land for every living ear to hear, all throughout the night. And the bonfires, spread out across the kingdom? Their smoke stretched far enough into the sky for the gods to touch and smell. Even in the dark, such flames made the black sky look like dawn.

Within the city, and on the grounds near enough to the capitol's roads, people cheered and drank. Feasts were distributed to every household by the Queen's kitchens. Musicians and performers fell on out in the streets and squares, enchanting the crowds with their notes and words in honor of their future. An wave of happiness fell over the land, giving people hope and replacing faith in souls who'd so long forgotten it. It was a magnificent spectacle to see. The people dancing at the gates of the palace, praying for peace, and leaving gifts for the guards to take to the royal family.

Oh… That day, even after such a terrible storm, everything still dripping wet and freezing, a beacon of light had appeared in a sea of darkness.

Many miles to the north, though, where the storm had subsided to simple sheets of rain, the only inhabitants of the area did not celebrate the tolling of the bells or tongues of the fires. There was no reason to for them. Whilst everyone else felt happiness, they felt only dread.

Their home was large and sturdy, built to hold dozens of people at once. A small fire on it's own flickered in their fireplace, bleeding smoke up the chimney and out in the rain. All was silent except for the crackles of the hearth, where they all sat, allowing the bells to ring in their ears.

"Mommy," the second littlest voice - made of a mass of blond curls and big blue eyes - asked cautiously. "what do the loud sounds means?"

The little girl sat in her mother's lap, curled up into her warmth. The rocking of their chair was supposed to be lulling the little three year old to sleep, but the tolling kept her awake, sounding like thunder, scaring her into curiosity.

"They mean a baby's been born." Her mother, a young woman named Snow White, whispered back.

"But they didn't ring when Leo was born!" The little girl exclaimed.

"Emma, quiet down!" Her father hissed. "Your brother's trying to sleep. It's bad enough those damn bells are ringing. You don't need to add to the noise."

"David," His own mother reprimanded him. "Watch your mouth."

He lowered his head in embarrassment.

"No, they didn't." Snow admitted.

"Why?" Emma demanded. "Did they ring when I was born? Do they only ring for girls? For princesses, like you and me?"

"They ring when any member of the royal family is born. They rang for me, but they never rang for you."

Emma looked offended. "Why?"

"Because I was a princess then. To the Queen now, you, your brother, and I are not royalty."

"That doesn't make _sense_!" Emma hissed, trying to keep her voice down as her father had told her. "You said we're princesses!"

"We are. Just not anymore."

"Because of the Queen?"

Snow nodded solemnly. "Her and I didn't get along. So I left. That's how I met your father, Grumpy and Doc. That's how I got you." She smiled brightly at her beautiful daughter. "I wouldn't have had it any other way."

"Then who are the bells ringing for, Mommy?"

"They're ringing for the new prince or princess."

"New? You mean we can't go back? We can't be princesses again?"

"We'll always be princesses, sweetie. You'll always be a princess. It's just that the Queen's baby is the only royal prince or princess in the kingdom anymore."

"Oh…" Emma didn't really understand. She wouldn't for awhile, but she got the point.

Mostly.

"Go to sleep now, sweetie." Snow urged, petting her daughter's thick blond curls.

"Okay." Emma rested her head on her mother's chest, pulling her blanket higher up on her body.

A quiet moment passed.

"Mommy?"

"Hmm."

"I don't like the Queen's baby."

"Shh. Don't say that. You don't know the baby."

"Doesn't matter." Emma yawned. "She's a liar. Like Grumpy."

"She's not old enough to lie, love."

"Then the Queen's a liar. For making people think her baby is taking our place."

Snow chuckled. "Go to sleep, or I'll put you back in your room."

The little girl's precious blue eyes were already closed though.

...

It was a princess.

Her name was Rose.

The Queen was overjoyed!

She did not open her eyes for several days, days after the bells stopped ringing and the fires stopped burning, once everyone's belies was filled with the delicious food, but that did not stop the Queen from taking her daughter and presenting her before her people and, for the next month, various nobles, royals and ambassadors from various kingdoms and even realms.

She was blessed and declared the Queen's rightful heir unless a boy were to be born, and everyone knew that probably wouldn't happen. She drowned in gifts and promises and lightened people's heart with her laugh.

Dear gods, she was the Queen's heart and joy! She was so small and beautiful; her big, warm eyes a magnificent combination of brown and blue, with small tuffs of curly brown hair covering her head. Oh, but she was amazing, always contently laying in the Queen's arms. A natural born princess.

One night, the Queen was rocking her baby, gently singing a lullaby as her mother had done for her. She smiled and laughed at her sweet baby girl and let her hold her finger in her tiny fist.

A loud crash sounded in the hall and the Queen gently put her baby into her bassinette so she could go and yell at whatever idiot had made the sound, but when she opened the door, no one was there. For a moment she pondered this fact, then she gasped, knowing what had happened, and she spun around to find an imp, dressed in leather and donned in glittering skin with golden eyes, holding her daughter, who was trying to reach and grab the creature's oily hair.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" He squealed. "How did you ever manage to have her?"

"_Give her to me_!" She lunged at the imp, but he dodged her, still cradling the baby in his thin arms.

"Tut, tut, tut, Your Majesty. Is that anyway to ask for something?"

"Give me my daughter!" Regina growled.

"Where did you find her?" The imp hissed back.

"Why do you care? Scared I'll mess up your plans again, Rumpel?"

He did not answer, but walked out onto the nursery's balcony, the baby princess still in his arms.

"No! Stop! Please." She hurried in front of him, trying to take Rose out of his arms again but he held her out of reach.

"_Spill_." He ordered.

"She's your darling maid's, if you must now." the Queen revealed quietly, swallowing. "It seems that one of her father's clerics got a little go friendly."

Rumpelstiltskin took another step towards the edge of the balcony. "You're lying. She's too young."

"No! No! The cleric took the child from your beloved's remains, grew it outside of a womb, in hopes to use it against you or Maurice. He used the same potions to keep her young, to make it more painful. One of my knights killed him a few weeks ago, and I needed an heir."

"Couldn't have just used one of your mother's old potions to have you precious stable boy's child?" He spat. The statement was meant to hurt and it did, but that meant that she'd hurt him and she enjoyed that.

He thought he could toy with her. Ha! She was in charge now, especially with her princess resting in arms. Oh, the things he didn't know… The things she would twist.

"Now please…give her back to me." That did not mean, however, that she did not care for the precious child.

Rumpelstiltskin did as he was asked and set the baby back into it's mother's arms, but by the solemn look in his eye, Regina could tell he believed that this indeed was his old maid's daughter. She couldn't imagine how badly he wanted to take Rose away from the castle and raise her as his own, but he couldn't if he wanted everything to pan out.

"As you wish, Your Majesty." He slightly bowed the Queen. "But!" He raised a single finger, smiling. "Before I go, I would like to bestow a gift to Her Grace."

"Go ahead," Regina allowed, curious.

He waved his hand in a cloud of purple smoke. Once it cleared, in his hand appeared a long silver chain with a small looking glass hanging at it's end.

"So that she may follow in her mother's footsteps." Rumpelstiltskin giggled. "Long live the queen!"

When Regina looked up, he was gone.

...


	3. Conviction

_Six Years Later…_

She hid in her mother's wardrobe, hands clamped over her ears so she could not hear the thundering of the guards' footfalls throughout the castle, their armor clanking and captains yelling orders that echoed against the stone walls. She was in trouble, and she knew it.

She had never been allowed to go up to the tallest towers, and yet she had wondered up there that morning, reading her book. She hadn't even noticed she'd climbed all those stairs up to the highest tower. All she'd been doing was reading the spells book her mother gave her to read for her studies. She had tutors to teach her literature and mathematics, but her mother taught her magic.

She'd only noticed when she sat down on the woman's lap.

She must've opened the door to the cell, with magic unconsciously - she did that sometimes, use magically unknowingly, and Mother said that it meant she would be a great witch one day. - and walked in, thinking perhaps it was her room, or her mother's, maybe the library. Then she'd tried to sit down, and instead of in a chair, in a woman's lap.

The woman was absolutely beautiful, unlike any woman she'd ever seen, with long, thick, dark brown hair, and brilliant blue eyes, as bright as the sky. Her body was slim and fair, dressed in a simply blue dress. She looked down at Rose with such disbelief, the thought she'd never seen a little girl crossed the back of the princess's mind.

"Hello," The woman said quietly.

Rose swallowed. "Good afternoon,"

"What are you doing up here in the towers?"

Rose eyes grew big. Dread poured into her soul like a waterfall. "I-I didn't mean to. I-I'm sorry, miss. I didn't mean…I know I'm not supposed to be up here…Mother says it's forbidden until perhaps I'm older, but…I-I just…"

"You were reading," The woman said with a gentle smile. "It's all right. I used to do the same thing. And I don't get many visitors."

Rose's eyebrows stitched together. "Why ever not? You are the Queen's most important guests, up here in your tower. Do you not get an audience with my mother?"

"Sometimes," The woman admitted. "But is that what she calls us? Us up here in the towers? Her guests?"

Rose nodded. "Her most_ important_ guests. That's why she says I'm not allowed up here until I am of age. You all are too powerful, too important for a little girl to interrupt."

The woman's smile brightened and her eyes twinkled, even though there was little light in her room. "You are still a little girl? I recall it's been many years since I last heard you mother's bells ring for you."

"I'm only six, miss. But Mother say's I am very smart for my age, and very beautiful. The fairest in the land, even. She says that once I am older, I will be enchanting."

"Looks are not everything," The woman told Rose wisely.

"I know. Mother says I'm beautiful, but I don't always believe her. Most days, when I look at myself in her mirrors, I look like one of the poor dogs who begs for scraps on the streets." Rose answered truthfully, unaffected by her own insult.

The woman laughed. "And how would you now what a stray looks like? If you are only six, your mother should not be letting you wonder the city. Not until you're older."

"Oh, she doesn't, but when I go walking on the castle's grounds, or for my horse ridding lessons, I see them in the trees and bushes, trying to eat Mother's apples. She would be furious if she realized they sometimes did, so I thought that if I and the cook boy fed them some scraps everyday, they wouldn't eat Mother's apples, and maybe one day they wouldn't look like strays, so I could ask Mother if we could have them."

"That's very clever of you, princess."

"Thank you, madam."

The woman licked her lips and petted Rose's long brown curls. "Belle," She eventually said. "You can call me Belle."

"Then you may call me Rose. A princess should not be wondering the chambers of her mother's most important guests. So I am just Rose here."

Belle laughed again.

"Is that why you're room is so small and plain? Because you are so important, you have a castle somewhere else that you usually live in?" Rose looked around the room, confused.

"I suppose you could say I have a castle. It's high in the Dark Mountains, where only the brave and desperate venture."

"The Dark Mountains? But that's where Rumpelstiltskin lives!"

Belle smiled. "Yes. He does. I live there with him."

Rose looked confusedly up at Belle. "Mother says Rumpelstiltskin's a monstrous beast who steals firstborns and hurts people. Why would live with him?"

"He's not a beast, Rose. He could seem vicious to people who don't know him, but he's really kind and gentle…" Belle's eyes watered and lips turned up into a bittersweet smile. She looked down at Rose, petted her hair, with the same kind of emotion. "He's just a man who's been misunderstood for too long."

"You love him." It wasn't question. For so young, the princess was amazingly attuned to people's feelings and emotions. And though not fully aware of what those feelings meant, she always tried to understand.

Belle gave a watery laugh. "Your mother was right. You are very smart for your age."

"Why are you crying?"

"I haven't see Rumpelstiltskin in a very long time."

"Well then why don't you go?"

"I can't, Rose. Your mother would be very upset with me."

Rose frowned. "You are being sad for no reason, Belle. My mother is always angry. It would not make a difference if you were to leave for a few days and visited Rumpelstiltskin. If you say that he's kind and gentle, that you love him, you should be able to call his name once you get into the city and he'll find you. Go to him."

Belle shook her head. "No. You don't understand, Rose, I can't."

"Of course you can." Rose stood up from Belle's lap, tall and straight with defiance. She didn't like it when people said "can't." "If it makes you feel better, I'll make sure Mother doesn't come up here to visit you for awhile. I'll fain illness if I must to make sure she doesn't come to the towers. But, even if that shouldn't work, the guards are not due to come here until noon. You'd have enough time to get to the city.

"And if you don't agree to that," Rose stated, "I'll transport you to the city myself."

Belle raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And how would you manage that?"

Purple smoke coughed out of palms of Rose's hands. "The same way I got into this room. With magic."

To her satisfaction, Rose saw worry flicker in Belle's eyes. For whatever reason, she didn't know, but it secured her bluff. Mother had yet to teach how to transport herself, let alone someone else, from one place to another, and even if she tried, she was for the most part certain that they would be missing a limb or two when they reappeared. If it was even in the right location.

"All right then. Show me out, princess." Belle agreed.

…

Where were you?" the Mirror demanded, jumping from looking glass to looking glass as Rose skipped down the hall cheerfully. "You're lucky Regina thought you went on your ridding lesson."

"Nowhere," Rose sang childishly.

"I couldn't _see_ you, princess! If I am to _watch_ over you as your mother has instructed, and there is a _blind_ spot in my sight, I must now! I could not even see through your own mirror!"

Rose's fingers gently brushed the small looking glass hanging around her neck on a fine silver chain. She'd had it for as long as she could remember.

"I was seeing a friend, if you must now." the young girl sighed.

"Friend? You didn't go outside the grounds, did you? Do you know what your mother would you, let alone me, if she were to find out you went into the city without a companion?" the Mirror hissed, frightened.

"Oh, stop worrying, Genie. I only went to the gates. I was making sure my friend was safe. She's going to be taking a journey."

"Which friend?"

"A new one."

"How could you have a new one?" the Mirror demanded. "There hasn't been a new student added to your tutor sessions, and due to the sickness, you haven't been out in town. Besides, any of those places I would have been-" He stopped himself, horror crossing his features. "You went into the towers."

Though her stomach flipped, Rose levelly said, "Don't be silly. Mother says I'm not allowed in the towers."

The Mirror didn't hear her. "Because of the magic Regina's casted to keep Rumpelstiltskin away…I wouldn't have been able to see you… Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, Rose. What have you done?"

"What? What's going on?"

"The guard is assembling. They know someone's been in the towers, a prisoner's missing. Your mother's calling me. I must go."

"No, Genie! Wait!" But he was gone.

Fear consumed Rose. Prisoner? What had the Mirror meant by prisoner? She knew of the dungeons, but those were only for people who'd broken the law. And the whole guard wouldn't be gathering for a single thief. Unless…

Rose was indeed very smart. She'd read many books. It did not take her long to realize what she'd done.

And so she ran. Ran as far as she could without crossing paths with her mother, any of the guards or servants. The only place she could think where none of them would be at the moment was her mother's chambers. Then there, where no one would look, where she could not hear - her mother's wardrobe.

For many hours, it seemed, she sat in the darkness, crying over her mistake. She'd disobeyed her mother. She'd committed an act of treason in the eyes of the law. What was the Queen going to do when she found her? There were only so many places in the palace, the guards would know if she'd left the property, she would eventually be found.

When she woke up, however, she was in her rooms, wrapped up comfortably in the blankets of her bed, as usual. What was unusual was that Mother was sitting beside her, brushing her hair back.

When Regina saw her eyes open, she smiled. "Good morning, beautiful."

Rose swallowed. "Good morning,"

The Queen petted her daughter's red cheek with her knuckles. "You gave me quite a scare last night. I had the whole guard looking for you. And yet were just hiding in my closet." She laughed as if she should have known.

"I-I was scared. All of the guards wer-were marching and yelling, and…"

"It's all right, darling. That's all over. You don't have to be scared anymore."

"What were they doing that for, Mother?"

Regina frowned. "Oh, just…One of my special guests, up in the towers?" Rose nodded. "They went missing."

"Did you find them?"

Regina shook her head and Rose felt something like a boulder roll off her chest. "No, but we're going to keep looking. Oh, I'm sorry the guards scared you. That's my fault. I told them too look everywhere for my guest."

"I couldn't find you. That's why I hid in your wardrobe."

"My clever girl." Regina praised with a kiss on the forehead. "It did get a bit hectic, didn't it? Well, we couldn't figure out how my guest went missing."

"Did someone take them away?"

"Perhaps…" Regina looked out one of Rose's stain glass windows for a moment. Then she shook her head, putting the thought aside. "Doesn't matter." She said. "That was the past, today is the present. Come. Get dressed. You and I are going to go for a ride to the beach."

Rose beamed. "The beach? Just you and me?"

Regina smiled gleefully at her daughter's excitement. "Yes. And we'll pack a picnic, maybe even a few blankets to stay the night."

The princess hopped out of bed, running to fetch her clothes. "Will you teach me some more spells on the way there?"

"Whatever you want."

…

Emma snuck in through the back door, closing it behind with the most gentlest of care, sneaking through the halls and rooms on the tips of her toes, making well sure she didn't step on any of the squeaky floorboards or touch the whining doors. She was nearly to the stairs, and would have made it all the way up without anybody seeing her, had her year old sister not came wobbling into view.

Usually the little black haired girl would keep watching her feet, so as not to trip, because she'd come to realize that hurt, but she made a bold decision to look up at the exact moment and scream, "Emmy! Emmy!" reaching out her arms for her sister. "Emmy! Emmy!"

"_No!"_ Emma hissed. "_No! Evie, go away! Go away, Evie!_ Gods," She hurried down with a groan and scooped her sister before running back up the stairs as fast as she could.

Without anymore disruptions, Emma was able to hurry up into the infirmary and raided the medicine closet. She locked the door behind her and sat down Evie in an empty basket so the tyke couldn't get herself into any trouble where she wasn't supposed to be. She poured all the bottles she'd found useful onto a little table below a mirror, as gently as possible so they wouldn't break or make much noise.

"Emmy, Emmy, Emmy. Play, play, play." Evie chanted from her basket.

"Hush! Not now."

Evie's bottom lip quivered. "No…play. Emmy mad."

Emma rolled her eyes and sighed, turning around to kneel before her little sister. "I'll play with you later, once I'm done with what I have to do, okay? I'll play with you in a minute."

The small child laughed and pulled on her sister's loose blonde strands. "Play!"

"Ow! No, Evie. Not now!"

"Play! Play! Play!"

From below, Emma heard her mother call, "Emma? Is that you?"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Emma moaned, tears yelling in her fine blue eyes. "No, no, no, no…"

"Emma?" Her mother's voice was closer. Climbing the stairs, most likely. "Do you have Evie up there with you?"

"Yeah, Mother, I got her up here with me." Emma tried to call without cringing, her ear pressed against the door of the medical room to hear her mother. Her foot steps were drawing higher and higher on the stairs.

"Emma…" The girl felt her mother's presence just outside the door. "Why do you have Evie in the infirmary?"

"Oh, she just wanted to come up here with me. I'm getting some herbs. I skinned my knees racing today."

"Then why is the door closed?" The doorknob rattled. "And locked? Emma?"

Absolute defeat swelled over Emma like poison. If she'd have had to been caught by anybody, she'd rather it be her father, or one of the dwarves, even her elderly grandmother, just so they could understand.

Her mother was a princess! She'd never raced or play fought with wooden swords! She'd never gotten a cut in her life unless it was trimming the flowers outside in their garden! Her punishment would be dire because her mother had caught her, Emma had concluded on the way home. If she had just stuck it out until after dinner when she and Father could talk…If she hadn't brought Evie up to the medical room with her…

The would-been princess felt like she was surrendering the capitol to her kingdom as she unlocked the door and opened it for her mother, who, at first, held at disappointed look that gave away into one of worry.

"Emma…What happened to you? What did you do to your face?"

Snow White dropped to her knees so she could get a proper look at her daughter's injuries. Her right eye was swollen and already black and blue. Her lip was broken and ears had cuts on them. "Dear gods…"

Her daughter's tears fell onto her gentle hands. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't want you to see. I was trying to fix it myself, but…"

"What happened?" Mother navigated her to a chair near the mirror and stand where all of the bottles and vials she'd taken out rested. She took a cloth and dipped it in the water basin, washing the dirty and blood from her daughter's fair skin.

"They were making fun of a boy," Emma explained hoarsely. "He has a limp, has to walk with a stick. It got broken when he was little, by a scared horse. I told them to stop it, but they wouldn't listen to me. I told them to leave, or I'd tell our tutor. They pushed me into the mud."

Mother sighed then. She could imagine what happened next. Both Emma and her younger brother, Leopold, had contracted their parents fire for battle. They were smart enough never to begin the fight, but had little guilt or care about what happened next - usually on their part.

Evie was beginning to show they same kind of boldness, too.

"I'm sorry," Emma sobbed. "I know I'm not supposed to fight, but-"

"You did the right thing, Emma."

The girl froze abruptly under her mother's touch. She hadn't expected that answer. "W-What?" She hiccupped.

"You protected the innocent. You stood up for someone who couldn't themselves. Just as your father and I have taught you. We would not have it any other way."

"You…You aren't made at me?"

"No, of course I am. You came in here without my permission and you fought."

Emma lowered her head in shame.

"How many were there?" Mother asked after a moment of silence.

"Three,"

"Three? Did you get all of them?"

Emma shrugged. "One of them ran."

Snow White laughed. "Did Princess Emma scare him away with all her fury?"

Emma scowled at her mother. "I'm not a princess."

"Of course you. You are my daughter, aren't you?"

"Yes," Emma admitted with an annoyed sigh. "But if I were a princess, I wouldn't have to fight stupid bullies. I wouldn't get knocked into mud and get bruises and cuts."

"Oh, yes you would. I did when I was your age. All the time."  
"No, Mother, people whisper behind our backs. Don't you know? They mock us. They hate you for giving up your rightful place as ruler to the Evil Queen."

"She's not evil, Emma. Don't say that."  
"Yes she is! And so is that stupid daughter of hers! I'm not a princess because of her! If it wasn't because of her, I wouldn't be trouble! If it wasn't for her, there would be no bullies allowed anywhere in our kingdom! And I'd concur King George's lands, with Leo and Evie, so there would be no bullies over there."

"Maybe you can still do that. Regina won't live forever, and I have a feeling that Princess Rose will be a very good queen. Maybe when they two of you are older, you could go to her and tell her your plan. Then the two of you could concur all those lands together and make the world happy and peaceful."

"You could have done that, and yet you didn't. No, Rose won't be a good queen. She'll be just like her mother."

"Technically, Rose is your aunt. I won't have you talking about your family that way."

"Technically, she's nothing to me. She took my spot in the royal thrown room. She wears my dresses and crown. The Evil Queen wears your crown wrongfully. Don't you ever hate that? Don't you ever regret not fighting?"

"If I had, people's lives would have been lost, and I probably would not have you, now would I? All right, done. Go put a fresh dress and then go to the kitchen to help your grandmother with dinner."

Emma did not move as her mother stood and took up her little sister. She looked forward with an expression of suppressed rage.

Snow White sighed. "What?"  
Her daughter looked at her then with such conviction in her blue eyes, Snow saw her old self appear where her daughter sat. "I will rule this kingdom, and every unfair kingdom around us. Someday. Even if I have to chop down my so called aunt and grandmother."

"Emma," Mother hissed furiously. "Watch your mouth."

"I will! I will avenge you and King Leopold and Queen Ava!" Emma stood and stomped up to her mother. "I will do what you never could!"

"Go to your room and stay there!" Snow ordered her daughter. "For the rest of the night. You are to have no dinner. You sleep and tomorrow you will go to school without a word, understand? You will speak none of this treason ever again. I forbid it."  
"I hate you!" Emma ran out of the room, sobbing. Before slamming her door shut, she screamed, "You coward!"  
David stomped up the stairs then and jogged up to Snow's side. "What was that all about?" He demanded.

His wife didn't answer, but handed him his youngest daughter, who played with the strings of his shirt. Then she walked away from him.

"Snow?" He followed behind her, holding Evie securely to his chest as he pranced down the steep steps. "What was Emma yelling about? Why did she call you a coward?"

"Because I am," Snow gave a watery sob. "Dear gods, she so right."

"Right about what, sweetheart?"

Snow White shook head and wiped her tears away. "Nothing," She repeated. "I'm going to go for a walk."

"It's almost nightfall." David protested.

"I'll keep on the path." Snow White stood up on her toes and kissed her husband and daughter's cheek. "Don't wait up for me."

…


	4. Unfairly Seen

Four Years Later…

The princess was galloping through the wood, alone, for, at the edge of her kingdom, she had managed to escape her guard. Her mother always insisted that she have one, but Rose longed to be away from that world, where her mother always "implied" the action of constantly looking over her shoulder. It made her shiver and uncomfortable, but without her guard, a new solider named Max, so easy to fool, who was taking Alexander's place because the trusted man was sick, she felt free. Though, there was no doubt in her mind that once they found her, her mother, the Queen, and Alexander would make sure she never felt that way for a long time.

That was when she was attacked.

At first, the sound of a battle cry had merely surprised her, awoken her from her daydreams, but then the shower of arrows poured down on her, frightening both her and her horse, Philippe, but eventually, they both crouched and sprinted their way down the road, trying desperately to be unharmed by the sharp points of their invisible attackers' weapons.

"After her!" Someone ordered behind her, and Rose immediately heard the sound of more thumping hooves.

"Hurry! Hurry, Philippe! Please!"

The horse raced away it's attackers, fueled by the fear it felt radiating off of it's human. The shower of arrows had ceased so it was easier to run.

Especially when it's little ten year old human was thrown off of it's back because of a overly large tree branch.

Rose landed on her back with a loud THUMP and the wind was puffed out of her. She hadn't seen the branch. Her head had been in Phillip's fur, hiding her from the world, but somehow it had caught her and landed her at the feet of her enemies.

Tears spilled from her eyes. She couldn't breathe and the pain that ripped through her back was unbearable. However, at the sound of boots, she attempted to scramble to her feet, only to he forced down by a slice of a sword to her face. Rose gave out a small cough meant to be a cry and fell back to the floor, covering her face.

"Stay down, thief." A young girl, only a little bit older than her, with long, curly blond hair and hard blue eyes, ordered her. She pressed the point of her small sword against Rose's chest.

"Thief?" Rose asked. "No, please, miss, I am-"

"We know who you are. We are not as stupid as your pretender mother makes us out to be in her stories. It is time you know your place, girl. It's time you know the strength of our house."

"Please…" Rose sobbed. "I will do anything you wish…"

The blond haired girl kneeled down next to Rose and pulled her torso up off the ground by the collar of her cloak. "I wish you to die," The girl said simply, and with such honesty, Rose felt the same kind of fear as they day she'd let Belle go. "But that will have to wait awhile for now. Because I want you to know the life I've lived, and since I am not yet dead, you shall not yet die until the moment presents itself."

The princess swallowed hard. The blazing emotions in the girl's eyes was heart stopping, but she would not allow herself to consumed by fear. That twisting feeling she got in her gut at times like these, she hated it. She hated feeling it. And this girl, however organized and determined she may seem at first glance, was only a bit older than her. She had an army of children, and perhaps villagers who would fall behind if she called, but Rose had an army and they would no doubt come looking for her soon, once Max built up enough strength to go tell the Queen he'd lost her daughter.

"My mother will send her guards to look for me, and they will find me. But they will not be as merciful as I. They are mercenaries, and if they find you, your death, and your families deaths, will be swift, unless they've been ordered to drag you back and throw you at the feet of my mother, the Queen Regina, in which case, you will be her prisoner until she lies on her deathbed.

"If you let me go now, though, I will never speak of this, and you will be allowed to live a long and happy life."

"Who says I want that?"

"I do. Your friends do not want to die, and it's obvious they've lived a much less privileged life than you. So what makes you want to hurt me?"

The girl dropped Rose back to the ground and jabbed the butt of her sword into her ribs, making a loud cracking in sound. The princess cried, but rolled onto her knees, cradling her side. With a sigh, a cloud of purple smoke surrounded her for a second, and then when it disappeared, she was standing, her cloak a puddle at her feet, and blade in her hand.

"You are unlucky, miss, for my mother has not yet taught me how to transport myself from one place to another."

The girl laughed. "You think you can fight me? Me? I am the greatest warrior since Lancelot."

"I guess we'll see then, because it was Lancelot who taught me."

The girl's face fell.

"Emma," one of the children warned quietly. "We didn't come here to fight."

"We came here to show this pretender a lesson, Allen. And that's what I will give her."

"Then why don't you, Miss Emma?" Rose challenged.

"I will," And Emma stepped forward, swinging her sword at Rose's legs.

The princess blocked it. Emma would be stronger than her, and have the advantage since she was not wearing a dress and hair was pulled back. But Rose was swift and light, had a way with words, and even some magic.

She realized that wasn't all that fair, but Emma started it by attacking her.

Their swords clashed and screeched, sending sparks when they grinded against each other.

"Persistent," Rose observed as she swept around, cutting Emma's hair and pushing her down to her knees. She put the tip of her blade against Emma's throat. "Had enough?"

"Never!" Emma knocked Rose's sword away and drew a knife from her hip, slicing it against the princess's arm.

Rose returned the favor by cutting her blade across leg.

As Emma fell to her knee, she lunged forward, tackling Rose to the ground with her arms wrapped around her thighs. She scrambled for her knife and then laid against Rose's throat.

"I told you I was better."

"This time," Rose choked.

Emma smiled evilly at her counterpart. "I am always better." She pushed the blade harder down on Rose's jugular. "With you dead," She said. "The Evil Queen will have no heir, and so when she dies, if I don't eventually kill her myself, the true royal family shall reclaim their kingdom and return it to it's former glory."

"No kingdom wants a tyrant on their throne. All you've done is take down a girl younger than you."

"I am no tyrant. I am better than you and your mother. So you will always be below me."

"EMMA!" a familiar voice bellowed.

"That's my father, the heir to King George's kingdom." She smiled at the flicker of fear in Rose's eyes. "Yes, you should be scared."

Emma managed her away up, picking her sword from the ground and putting it against Rose's chest so she dare not move as her father appeared on horse back, red faced and panting.

"Father, look! I-"

"What have you done?" David demanded, his voice filled with fury.

Emma looked at him, confused. "Why are you angry? I've captured the false princess. Without her, Regina has no heir, so when she dies, we can regain the kingdom."

"You've committed treason!" David shouted angrily.

"But, I-"

David gestured to the dwarves who'd followed behind him. "Take her home. Treat her wounds, Doc."

"Father-" Emma started to protest.

"LOWER YOUR SWORD!" David ordered with a voice Emma had never heard. The children behind her jumped and walked away from the had-been prince.

Emma did as she was told and Rose rolled onto her feet and stood beside Emma brushing off her dress. As she'd laid underneath Emma's blade, and listened to David, she'd finally realized why this yellow haired child wanted her head.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Father. It was just-"

"Not you," David snapped at his daughter. He looked to Rose. "Are you all right, princess?"

"I am fine, thank you. Your daughter and her friends were just making sure I was safe as well."

An unexpected look of confusion overcame David's face. Rose took slight satisfaction in that. "Excuse me?" He asked.

Emma looked at Rose with the same look. What was she saying? Emma didn't understand.

"I was lost, you see, sir. I lost my guard somewhere down the path, but up here, I came across burglars. They had dogs, and my horse was scared. He flung me off and I fell unconscious for a moment. When I woke up, your daughter here was standing over me, just as you found her, telling me to stay down in case there were more thieves. They'd stolen my purse and geography tools, and from the state of which I feel, but can not see, battered me just a bit."

David lowered his head with a sigh. "I have heard of your mercy, Princess Rose, but my daughter at the moment is underservant of such a gift. I was told that she came out here looking to harm you, as she has."

Rose shook her head. "Take my word as truth, sir. From a princess to a prince. Your daughter was protecting me. She might have realized who I was whilst doing so and jealously overcame her. I would understand. But as she told me, she came out here looking for a thief. And though she did not find one, she protected my royal head from anymore harm."

The shepherd swallowed, not believing the princess, but doing as she ordered and taking her word as truth.

"Doc," He said, looking to the dwarves behind him. "Take the princess to the infirmary and make sure her wounds are treated. It seems though thieves gave her quite a beating. Tell Snow what happened. I will take Emma and down the road and see if I can find one of the Queen's guards, so they can come and collect the princess."

"Of course." Doc rounded his pony to the princess and helped her onto the saddle then taking it's reigns and leading it back to the village.

David looked to the children baring spears and bows with quivers of arrows. "I expect you all to go and look for the princess's stead, if the thieves did not take him. All right?"

"Yes, sir!" they all cried eagerly and then went to the man's bidding.

Then the father held out his hand for his daughter. "C'mon. We've got a guard to go fetch."

Emma swallowed. She was father's princess, but what she'd done was unforgivable to anyone, but it seemed Rose. She suddenly didn't understand the princess. She'd thought she'd had the girl figured out to what kind of tea she drank in the afternoon after her rides. But now…She'd lied, and Emma didn't see why. A moment ago, she was willing to kill her.

She'd have plenty of time to think about it though after her father was done lecturing her.

…

The Queen paced her throne room, from end to end, rubbing her hands together with anxiety. Rose had been gone for hours. That stupid guard had lost her somewhere in the northern forests and then just turned back around and rode to tell her.

The Northern Forests… There were too many people up there who would not hesitate to hurt her daughter. It was beyond her magic, which meant it was also somewhere Rumpelstiltskin could find her and take her away.

"They're at the gates!" the Mirror declared, freezing Regina in her place. "The guards have Rose! And…"

"And what?" Regina demanded of the genie. "Who's with them?"

"Charming with he and Snow White's daughter."

A few minutes later, the massive doors to the room were pushed open by two of her guards, revealing David and Emma being escorted by two other men, swords pointed at their backs, and Rose running down the hall.

"Mother!"

Regina hurried towards her daughter, arms opened wide to hold the princess with. "Oh Rose. Oh Rose, oh Rose, oh Rose." The Queen chanted, holding her daughter tightly against her, burying her face in Rose's chocolate brown hair. "You scared me to death!"

She pulled away and cradled her daughter's face in her hands, gasping at the scene. She looked up at David and Emma, rage flashing in her dark brown eyes. "What did you do to my daughter?" She demanded.

"No, Mother, they didn't do this to me!" Rose declared, taking her mother's hands and extinguishing the purple smoke from her palms. "They didn't do this to me! They found me and helped me. Philippe and I got lost, the something scared him and he threw me off! I blacked out for a moment or two, and when I woke up, Miss Emma was standing over me, making sure that I wasn't hurt and that everything was safe."

Off behind the princess, Emma watched the mother and daughter, still utterly confused. She'd thrown Rose off her horse, left her with two stitches that Doc so perfectly laid along her cut flesh. She'd threaten to kill her, torture her. Why did this child, only a few years younger than her, protect her, when she had committed so many wrongs?

Regina looked up at Charming, gently pushing Rose behind her in case she were to finally kill the annoying shepherd. "Is this true?"

"I did not wittiness this incident in the woods, Your Majesty, but when I found your daughter, my own was standing over, watching over her. By horse, we brought her to our home where we had a physician attend to her injuries. We gave her everything we could manage."

"And you," Regina looked to Emma. "Do you know what scared my daughter's horse in your woods?"

Emma shook her head. "It is spring, Your Majesty. Wolves are hungry. They might've crossed the roads. Then there are thieves in the area my father has been trying to catch. Fleeing, they might have scared the beast."

"Hmm," Regina huffed, accepting the story. "Very, well. Thank you, Charming, for bringing my daughter back to me. And you, girl, for keeping her safe. You may leave now."

Nodding, the father and daughter turned back around, escorted back to the gates by the guards. Still with swords in their backs.

…

The front doors of the palace were thrown open by the guards, releasing the young princess. She looked wildly around for a moment, searching for the mane of bright yellow hair. When she found it, standing behind father as the shepherd threw his saddle onto his horse, fixing it and getting it ready for their journey back home, she ran up to it's owner, grabbed her hand, and pulled her off to the side, turning her so her father could not see her.

Emma forced her hand out of Rose's grasp, taking a step away. "Don't touch me." She growled. She turned to leave.

"No, please, Emma!" Rose grabbed her hand again and pulled her back. "Wait. For just a moment, please. Listen to me?"

"What for?" Emma didn't understand this girl before her. They were enemies. Why had she saved her life, of both the wrath of her father and the Queen? Why was she being so kind?

"I want to give you this." Rose unfolded her hand and showed to Emma a beautiful, thin chain, strung of fine silver, baring a small ring, encrusted with jewels of all kinds of colors and a shield which so bore the crest of the kingdom, so ancient, that not even Regina would dare to change it.

Emma recognized it, or, at least, the design. Snow White had one just like it that she kept hidden away somewhere in their house, and only brought out for special occasions. Snow had told her and her siblings that it was a symbol of royalty in their kingdom. They had one for each rank of the royal house. This small one meant "princess".

Rose reached to press it into the palm of Emma's hand, but the stubborn young girl drew her hand away. "Why? I am no princess. Your presence makes sure of that."

"You are as much a princess as I am my mother's daughter." Rose put the ring gently into the blonde's hand. "We are sisters, Emma, as much as we are aunt and niece. You deserve this on your neck as much as I, as much as your mother. Your sister too. Please tell her I am sorry I could not smuggle one out for her. I did not have much time."

"Won't the Evil Queen notice?" Emma didn't understand the pang of worry she felt for the girl before her. But she saw Rose grimace when Emma called the Queen evil.

"I don't think so. These rings are not rare. They are probably scattered across the realms in our ancestors' castles and tombs, but there are enough, always enough, to be given to the royal house. I don' think she'll notice one gone."

"Emma," David called, beckoning his oldest child. "It's time to go."

"Coming." Emma turned to go.

"Remember," Rose stopped her though. "We are as much sisters as we are aunt and niece."

"Sure." And Emma jumped up onto their horse, producing a whine from it's mouth.

She only looked back once, but that was all it took to realize that Rose was right.

The Evil Queen probably wouldn't notice the ring was missing.


	5. You Could Call It a Friendly Fight

Three Years After That…

He threw her against the dirty, sweating wall of the room, digging his nails into her thighs so he could pull them up against his waist without any protest. She merely responded by biting the inside of his lips, and he took it as encouragement.

The pub was wild and loud, steam and smoke twisting into a disgusting mixture that hung above in the rafters; spirits of all kinds were being thrown down people's throats, chests and sloshed across the so called furniture of the repulsive establishment.

Men held their whores on their laps, eager to do business, for the moment the sun was sighted on the eastern horizon, they were out to war, or dead by the hand of their superiors for not showing up. It would be along time, or never, before they ever got as drunk as they were or had a woman's company.

Fights began and ended; love was created then broken; dreams were forgotten and ambitions were formed.

But she…She was just taking the advantage of a good night.

Her on the other hand…Her desires went as far as a warm bed hidden away from the snow.

She'd been there for many hours now, eating up on the stale food provided by the bar and consuming as many pints of beer as she could stomach. Her fists had probably been thrown around the most, though her lips tasted the least. Even now, as she allowed the young soldier to hold her against the wall, she would only let him go so far. She was a thrill seeker, always there for the fun of the fight, ready to get down and dirty with the boys, but she was still a lady. A princess by birthright, and she would never let any man lower her more than that.

So when the soldier's hand slithered it's way up to the waist of her breeches, her knife was immediately out and balanced against his jugular.

"Those don't belong there, do they?" She asked sweetly.

The solider shook his head, dropping his hands back down her thighs.

"Good," She mumbled against his lips whilst slipping her dagger back into her boot. "Now...Where were we?"

He laughed and took up her mouth once again.

Outside, an odd storm raged, heaving heavy sheets of small droplets down on all the kingdoms at an angle, disorienting scenes before eyes and flooding roads, leaving souls to wonder around leaving only hope and faith to guide them to their destination - or any decently roofed destination.

She'd been riding for so many hours, she didn't remember how many, but she did recall that the storm had begun not long after she'd rode beyond the limits of her capitol city. At first she'd thought it was a blessing sent by the gods, a sign that mean that they supported her journey, but then the roads had disappeared right beneath her and she'd lost all sight of anything beyond her horse's tall ears.

By now, they were soaking wet, all the water they'd took on weighing them down, dragging them through the mud. The roars of thunder and the howls of wolves that followed.

At every sound, she jumped. She'd never been alone outside of her grounds at night before. Though she thought herself brave and strong, the unknown of the world beyond her castle's walls was shattering her heart with fear.

Finally, a golden orb appeared somewhere down further in the mist called a storm. All fear was dissolved and gratefulness absorbed her.

"There, Phillip." She whispered into her horse's ear. "Almost there."

At the end of their night, where the gold orb lay, was an old pub, bursting with sounds of all kinds. The light that they'd seen from afar was a lantern hung above the door of the place, always there to call to souls wondering around in the darkness. She hopped down and hurried in, narrowly missing a man who'd been thrown across the room.

As crowded as it was, she managed to make her way over to the bar and it's keeper. The moment she conquered his attention, she cried, "Do you have a room, sir?"

"What?" The old man barked, shoving a horn into his ear. "What?" He repeated.

She jumped up onto the counter and bellowed into the horn, "Do you have a room, kind sir?"

He nodded, then reveled through the skirt hanging around his waist, finally pulling out a key and dumping it into her hand.

"Upstairs!" He shouted her before turning away to deal with other customers.

"Wait!" She pulled him back his collar. "Do you have a place where I can put my horse?"

"WHAT?" He chocked.

Hurriedly, she let go of his collar, realizing that she was chocking him and put her mouth to his horn. It smelt even worse than the bar. She would have puked in it, but she didn't have the stomach for that. Besides, she probably wouldn't get to keep the room if she did.

"Do you have a place for my horse?"

"Back. Back." He chanted, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. Literally. He bent down to pick it up and then continued, "Barn. Barn back."

"Thank you!"

An hour later, she was seriously regretting even coming within a mile of this place.

The walls of her room were shaking, her water was brown - and not from dirt. The bed she'd been looking forward to was a pile of old, poking hay in a feed sake. Phillip had better furnishing than that, and he was in the barn!

The leaking, decently smelling barn, with it's warm, cozy stables and blankets...She'd slept with the horses before, on accident of course, but she'd done. Why could she-

It was about then she fell through the floor.

…...

Two blue needles pierced into two puddles of brown, striking again and again, worming themselves into the mind of the puddles over and over.

The pot was full with everything everyone had.

There were only two left in the game. A mountain of stone and ferocity and a huge, balding man with two big brown eyes.

"Fold," He said.

"You sure you want to do that, Dotty?" Emma asked, smiling.

He glared at her, his lips a long brown line across his drooping face.

"Fold," He repeated, lowering his cards onto the table. He showed his hand to the whole room, and they oo-ed and ahh-ed at the sight of the damp cards. Already they began to pass around money, but Emma raised her hand, silencing the crowd.

She stared at Dotty as she put her cards down in the middle of the pot - showing off the winning hand.

"No! No! No!" Dotty cried. "C'mon!"

"Sorry, Dotty!" Emma laughed, standing to collect her earnings. "Good game! Keep working on it and you'll get it! Someday you'll be able to win everything from me!"

"You bet your ass I will!"

They shook hands and then as they parted, as Emma leaned down to gather her prize, half of ceiling dropped down onto the table, bringing with it a girl and a hay bag.

And scattering all of the pot across the area.

Everyone froze.

Emma's blue eyes carefully moved around the people around them. She slowly raised her hands.

"Now wait a minute everyone. I-"

Needless to say, the pot became a dog pile. And Rose was stuck at the bottom of it.

A pair of hands collected her ankles and dragged her out from beneath the pile. Desperate to not be taken, she clung to anything she could, only collecting slips of money and trinkets that had been thrown around and lost to Emma.

It was a man that pulled her up - a very tall, very bulk man, much like the statues of the past kings and queens she'd grown up looking at - and held her upside down in front of her.

With wide eyes and a pounding heart, she dropped everything her hands held to the ground. The man smiled and then gently put her back on her feet.

"YOU!" Emma screamed over the thunderous noise. Her blue needles had fallen on Rose. In her mind, mischief and trouble were the princess's companions. She didn't know how, but the next thing she knew, her hands were clutching Rose's shirt. "Did you do this?"

"No, Emma, I promise! I - LOOK OUT!" Rose dropped down to the ground, pulling Emma down with her. Where their heads would have been, a table flew by.

"Thank you," Emma panted.

"WHAT?"

She gripped Rose by her shirt again, bringing her close enough for them to hear each other, only centimeters between them. "What are you doing here?" She still had to yell.

"Running," Rose admitted to her partner. There was no use in lying. "You may yet have your kingdom."

"Why, in the hell, are you doing that?" Emma demanded, rolling on top of her with building frustration for the girl. Her rage and hate had reformed into deep distaste over the last three years, but now the princess had scattered her winnings across the pub, begun a fight, made Emma say thank you and was now poisoning her ears by saying she was going to ditch her place as princess, heir to the throne, in the strongest kingdom in all the realms.

"Are you crazy?" Her fist shot down onto Rose's cheekbone.

Rose rolled over onto Emma, and screamed in her face, "I don't want to be princess! I can't be princess! I can't be like her!"

She wrapped her hands around Emma's throat.

Emma knocked her arms away at the elbows and pulled Rose down to her face. "And why NOT?"

Rose jumped up. "I don't have to explain myself to you. You'd have me dead, but I will see no blood spilt on your hands. This way, you may have the kingdom without casualty."

The blond pulled Rose's ankle out from underneath her, dropping her back to the ground. Before she could do anything though, the brunette sat up and smacked her knuckles against Emma's jaw. She lunged forward, held the girl down, but Emma placed her feet on Rose's hips and flipped her over onto her back. She rolled over and kneeled above Rose.

"I don't want you dead. Not anymore. Remember, we are as much sisters as we are aunt and niece." Emma panted.

Rose let out a painful cough and hoarsely uttered, "Your maturity will suit well on the throne…Emma."

With a roar of frustration, Emma picked up Rose and slammed her against the wall of the pub, shaking the thin planks of wood. "Why do you insist on giving up what is rightfully yours by birth? The last time I saw you, you saved me from death, or worse, torture. It took awhile, but it humbled me. You're not winning any points by dishonoring my throne."

"You say you are humbled, and yet you still think it's yours?" Rose gasped.

"Don't get me wrong. I said I didn't want to kill you anymore. That doesn't mean I still don't think your bitch of a mother didn't kill my grandf- AH!"  
Rose threw her against the wall, a look of sheer fury in her eyes, and pushed her forearm against Emma's throat. For the first time, Emma actually felt…scared of Rose.

"Don't speak of my mother that way." She hissed.

Emma raised her hands in peace and Rose slowly backed away.

"I…am no princess, Emma. You are. I have…learned some things, in three years since I last saw you. But even…even if I am forced back, even if I am bound to follow after my mother…I fear I will be just like her. Perhaps worse."

"Hay," a drunken soldier said, stumbling away from the raging fight in the corner of the pub. He put his hand on Rose's shoulder and played with the curls in her ponytail. "You wanna…send a solider off on good terms?"

"We're having a conversation here!" Emma's fist shot down on the soldier's face, sending him drooling down to the floor without any other reaction.

"Was that necessary?" Rose demanded.  
"We're talking."

"No. I'm going. I didn't mean to find you. I'm sorry for falling on you. I'm leaving now. Goodbye."

"You're the Evil Queen's daughter! Where do you expect to go without being dragged back here?"

"Somewhere no one knows who I am."

"Wait, Rose-" Emma took Rose's shoulder, but just as she did, the front door of the building was kicked open, knocking the rectangle off it's hinges and showing off two armed men, drenched by the rain and hooded with dark cloaks. The room went silent and the marched in, the metal hanging off of them rattling with every step, louder than the thunder outside. Only one revealed his face and it was covered in scars.

Emma gently pushed Rose behind her, drawing out her dagger from her boot and hiding it behind her back. Rose tensed and Emma prayed that the child would not ruin anything.

The men stomped around the room, examining the people, on the floor, tables, the one hanging from the chandelier and everyone else standing. Though dressed totally in black, they were not the Queen's men. Mercenaries, Emma guessed. The question was though: why were they looking through a self-destructive bar?

And then they stopped before Emma and Rose, the scarred man leaning down to thoroughly look at the two of them. The scarred man breathed through his nose and puffed terrible, steaming streams into the girls' faces. Then he took one long breath, closing his eyes and smiling.

"You two," He said quietly, "Are coming with me."

"Why would we do that?" Emma questioned.

"I have someone who wants to meet the two of you," He said. "Princesses…" He added very quietly. "And if you do not come willingly, I should have to take you by force to my employer."

"Would have to go through all of us first." Dotty said.

Rose saw the man's broad sword gleam in it's sheath. She gripped Emma's arm. "We will go with you, sir. We don't want a fight."

The man barked. "But you were all just fighting."

"A friendly fight. Where fists are thrown for one minute and laughs are exchanged the next."

The man humped. "Whatever you say. Come now."

He turned around, his men following behind, and walked out the door. Rose pulled Emma along behind her, staring at the back of the men. Emma looked at all her friends behind her, watching her with uneasiness. They would each do something different after they left. That comforted her to some extent.

They were given a horse to share, and once pushed up onto the saddle, surrounded by the man's men on all sides. He was at the front of the entourage, leading them down a road only he and the others could see, because all Rose and Emma could make out was a river of mud.

"Why did you do that?" Emma hissed behind her at Rose.

"Look at their weapons." Rose hissed back, slyly indicating to the men's swords and other imaginative tools.

Now it was Emma's turn to tense. Rose nodded. "Not even Lancelot's successor and apprentice could take all that on."

…


	6. Like Mother, Like Daughter

_Sorry I haven't updated recently. School's been a real terror and I haven't had much time to write. I know these three chapters won't be much, but they're what I got for the moment. I hope to get another chapter up next week. I hope you all enjoy them. There will be some chapters like these throughout the story, just a different view on what's going on and how the girls' parents feel about them. I really like to write them, because these are (usually) characters that we all ready know, and we don't always get to see them like this. Worried and very protective. _

_- Theory G._

* * *

What better a way to contemplate a princess's disappearance than with a glass of wine and a murderously annoying genie stuck in a mirror?

She sat at her vanity, ready for bed, but she could not sleep, not while she watched all her memories and thoughts dance in her dark brown eyes. She swirled her wine and then took up a gulp, hoping it would haze over those memories and thoughts in her eyes, though her multiple previous attempts had proven to be unsuccessful and she could only assume this one would be just the same.

"Still no sign of Princess Rose, Your Majesty." Genie said quietly.

"Why would there be? There wasn't any sign five minutes ago when you last informed me. There wasn't ten minutes before that, or thirty minutes before that. She is gone and she will only be found when she wants to be found." Regina sighed.

"You taught her well."

Regina huffed. "Whether it be her teachings or her blood, I was undoubtedly the one that drove her away." She took a sip this time. "She didn't even take Cush."

"Maybe that means she'll come back." Genie offered empathetically.

"If she does, it will be when one of us is on our death bed."

"Us?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes, _us_. Me _or_ the dog. The dog _or_ me. She'll probably come for the dog before he dies and then she'll come when I die."

"The dog, Cush, and then you?"

"I'm sorry, I thought I was the _one_ who was drinking. Not that you can anyway."

"I can still be tired, and you've worn me, worn your whole kingdom all day looking for your daughter who probably disappeared because of you."

"I know that."

"And yet you still have people out looking of her."

"Why not? Maybe they'll find her. Maybe she didn't run away. Maybe she was stolen."

"By her father?"

"By anyone. There is a war coming - a war coming to every realm we have ever known. Whether we like it or not, but they are not fighting for my side or my step daughter's side, they are fighting magic all in all."

"So you think someone took Rose because they want to get you to stop using magic?" Genie wondered aloud. "They wouldn't know she practices magic. No one knows other than us few in the castle."

"I don't know. I don't know, I-I DON'T KNOW!" Regina threw her glass into her mirror and raked her arms across her desk,, spraying a wave of red, glass, and bottles, vials and things all across her vanity and herself. The flying shards cut into her hands and arms; one created a thin smile, crying small tears of red from her neck. The Queen did not bother to wave her hand and clean everything up, to tend to her wounds. No - she laid her head down against the desk and let her shoulders slump and then shake with sobs.

"Your Majesty," Genie said gently, still utterly in love with the Evil Queen. If he still had his hands, he'd touch her, hold her, comfort her over the loss of her daughter. He knew she was fearing the worse. She always did when it came to Rose. She could be a single minute late and already have a million of horrible ideas that could have happened to the princess. "She will be fine."

Regina slipped out her chair and onto the ground, washing away her red tears - of both wine and blood - with her long crystal ones. She pulled her knees into her chest, hiding her face in her gown.

Gods, how she missed her daughter! How her arms ached to hold her and lips burned to kiss her pink cheeks and nose stung to smell her rose scented hair. Her heart broke at the idea that it had been she who'd driven her daughter - her so lovely daughter - away. She'd been too hard and it had taken too long for her realize that she had turned into her mother - had pushed Rose as Cora once pushed her.

How had see been so naive, so blinded as to be so cruel and cold to her beautiful daughter?"Regina? Regina, darling, are you all right? Are you all right?" An old, stiff Prince Henry hurried into the room, after being summoned by the sound of crashing in his daughter's chambers and her Genie.

He looked around from the balcony to doors leading to her other rooms, until he found his daughter curled up on the floor, surrounded by chaos. He hobbled forward towards his own princess, dropping to his knees in front of her and taking her in his arms without hesitation. "Shh, shh, shh," He whispered soothingly into her ear, petting her hair and kissed her forehead. "It's all right, darling. It's all right. We'll find her. We'll find her."

"Why? Why? Why?" She cried into his chest, clutching his clothes. "Why do I have to be so much like her? Why did I have to drive her away?"

"You did nothing, Regina. You were a mother. A responsible, brilliant mother of a just as brilliant, adventurous daughter."

"I've lost...almost everything I love, Daddy. I just didn't want to loose her too." The Evil Queen sobbed to her father.

"You didn't loose her." Henry whispered to his daughter. "You could bring on the gods wrath, my daughter Regina, and neither Rose nor I could love you any less. You just don't understand how much Rose has turned out to be like you. "She's not gone, Regina. She just needs to breathe, such as you've never gotten the chance to." The father squeezed his daughter's shoulders. "Everything will be all right in the end. If it is not all right, then it is not yet the end."

Henry rocked his princess until she was asleep.


	7. Leopold

The fire crackled in it's pit, hissing and spitting at those who gazed into it's glowing orbs. It seemed to be yet another enemy who hated them for no reason, who wouldn't give up it's ways and wouldn't listen to their words. It just sat there, flailing it's tongues, demanding to touch any of their perfect porcelain skin.

It almost did.

"No, no, no, Jamie." Leopold caught his little brother's hand just in time to save it from the painful orange ribbons. He himself knew the pain of fire - his hand was proof of his childishness. He didn't want he and his brother to have matching scars.

"No, no, no, Leo." James laughed, smacking the palm of his small hand against his brother's forehead. Leo took the beating. He liked it. It made Jamie laugh and he liked to hear him laugh. Everyone liked to here James and Evelyn laugh.

It was pure innocence.

Leo threw his brother up into the air and caught him just in time to gently set him down where all his toys were. Jamie was four, almost five years old and was absolutely used to running around and doing whatever he wanted - their parents figured after three other kids, they had pretty much baby proofed their far - but right now he needed to stay put and play with his toys.

They didn't need anymore distractions.

Dotty had come to tell them what happened.

"Evie, come play Jamie." Leo beckoned his little blacked hair sister over. She crossed her arms, looking more like their father then their mother. Leo raised a blond eyebrow, only making Evelyn roll her eyes and drop down next to James, refusing to play for a moment before beginning to correct the little boy's leaning tower.

"They just...came in and took her?" Snow demanded as her eldest son walked into the dinning room where their whole clan and Dotty were gathered.

"Her and the girl who fell on top of us. She and Emma were going at it real hard the whole time." Dotty explained. "Nothing better than a chick fight." David glared at the big man, silencing him."But it was the brunette who said they would go with the spooks. As easy as breathing she let them take her and Emma away."

"What else can you tell us about the girl?" Grumpy demanded, getting up close and personal with Dotty.

"Brown hair - she came in yelling at Barney, o-our bartender. Went back out and then came back in. It look like she got a room. The only thing..."

"What?"

"Her eyes were like...really, really weird. I mean, I've seen people with two different colored eyes. Me mom and little bro got that - I don't, thank God. Me dad-"

"Dotty," David said impatiently.

"Her eyes were weird. They were blue and brown - like really blue and brown."

"Because that makes all the sense in the world." Red said.

"But it does."

Everyone in the room turned to him with questioning looks. He'd been standing in the entrance, trying to be invisible because he figured his parents would rather him be out of the room with his brother and sister.

"Leo?" David asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Princess Rose, the Evil - the Queen's daughter." He corrected himself after seeing his mother's deadly glare. "She has eyes like that."

"And how would you know, young man?" Granny asked from the other side of the room with an big eyebrow that nearly shot into her hair. He wasn't about to say he remembered the princess's unique eyes from the time that he, his sister, and a bunch of other village kids ambushed her in the forest. So he was quick to say something wouldn't piss of his parents."From the parade that Mom took us too last year? As remembrance of King Leopold? She and the Queen were riding along. It's very hard to forget eyes like that."

"What are the chances of the Queen's daughter coming out our village?" Red asked.

Grumpy shrugged. "Maybe she's finally got enough sense to run away from the witch."

"Grumpy," Snow snapped.

"Maybe it was Rose." Leo stepped in. "That would explain why the spooks came for them. Seeing Rose with Emma...And why Rose was so willing to go with them." He looked to his parents. "Give me the day. I can track them as far as a landmark. Then I'll turn back around or contact you however I can and tell you where the spooks went with the girls."

"And if it isn't Rose, and some other girl, and these men are mercenaries, what will you do then?" David asked his son.

"I'll ask for help and then storm the bastards that took my sister."

"Leopold," The young man's grandmother reprimanded him.

"I'll go with him." Red offered to her friends.

"No. It has to be just me. We still live in Regina's kingdom, you all were once rebels against her rule. You'd cause attention. No one knows my face. And, no offense, Red, but I can move a lot faster alone."

Snow immediately took her husband's arm, knowing what he would do. "No, David."

"He's right. We need to find Emma. With all these uprisings - not just against Regina, but against magic in all...We'd be too recognizable. If he needs help, he could call for Blue."

"Or Nova," Grumpy added. "Blue might be too busy with outbursts. Nova could help whenever."

"I'll be okay, Mom. I promise." Leo watched his mother squeeze his father's hand as he looked from his wife's face then too his son. For a moment, they shared blue eyes, and then his father bolted up to his room, already planning things he needed to pack, which horse he would take, and where he would carry his sword.


	8. Dreams Are Wishes the Heart Makes

It was deep into the night, and so high into the mountains, it was easy for thousands of sparkling stars to star into their great hall through the tall windows they kept uncovered and constantly clean. So they watched, as he sat in his small throne at the head of his grand table, pouring himself a cup of tea and doctoring as needed, and she paced the length of the room, right there next to the windows for the stars to see effortlessly.

The room the stars witnessed was only lit by the tall, blazing fire in a brilliantly magnificent fireplace, nearly just as big as her old cell in the Evil Queen's palace. It was filled though with, instead of her, a small cot and a ball and chain, a pile of freshly cut wood from outside and the lapping tongues of fire.

After a sip of tea and a relaxing sigh, the imp looked to the beautiful young woman who still paced. He stood, gently placing his chipped cup backed down on the table with a heavy sigh. He watched her as the stars did, and with that wondrous awe too, as she walked and walked, back and forth, from one end of the room to the other, carefully avoiding the edge of the massive rug, his spindle and all his other worthless treasures he had showed off around the room.

A playful smile twitched at the edge of his lips and he argued, "Won't you come sit down? It'll not be until morning that they get here. Can I make you a cup of tea?"

Her beautiful hand waved him off in a very absent minded gesture. "I'm not thirsty, thank you." Her noble manners added.

"Well, at least sit down before you wear a trench in the floor. It's over a thousand years older than you are, have a little respect." She stopped abruptly, turning on her heels with a flourish to look at him. Glower at him, more like, before her strong, impatient demeanor wore down to show nothing more than a tired, weak woman he'd rarely ever seen.

Her shoulders slumped, and he saw her knees wobble before collapsing beneath her. Before she could topple anything over, or more importantly fall and hurt herself, he lunged out and caught her in his arms, carefully lowering the both of them to the floor."Belle?" He demanded, cradling the size of her face. "Belle? Sweetheart, look at me. Talk to me."

Without hesitation, she leaned into his touch and offered a smile. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry? Don't say sorry to me. Belle, you just collapsed. What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong."

"I was apologizing for scaring you." She was still smiling. This was what she looked like when she was relaxed - smiling, eyes closed, and usually leaning up against him. But how, in all the bloody realms, could she be relaxed after just collapsing and very nearly cracking her head open like an egg on the floor?

He looked down at her, utterly confused. "I will never understand you." He finally whispered.

She chuckled. "Why else do you keep me here?"

It took every ounce of what strength he had left - because behind his glamour, he was just as tired as she was, near to fainting himself before he'd sat down - but with her in his arms, looking like at him as she was, he brushed her curls back behind her ear as he leaned down and hovered his lips over hers.

"Because I love you."

He felt her heart quicken and chest heave with heavy breaths beneath him. He smiled at her reaction, even as he felt his own blood running to his head, pushing his face closer to hers. But he abandoned her lips to lay his head on the other side of hers, gently lifting her so her back laid against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her middle, holding her close, whispering to her and comforted when she whispered back.

"They'll be here soon."

"Not soon enough." She admitted.

"This is how it must be, Belle."

"So you kind find your son?"

He flinched at the slight hint of spite he heard in her voice, though tightened his hold on her."So everyone can have their happy ending."

"Including us?"

"Especially us."

They shared a moment of silence, only listening to each other's heartbeats and the crackling of the fire."What will happen...when they get here?"

"We'll tell them about what they need to do. Their sense of...duty will compel them to do whatever they can, and will eventually lead to their being able to break the curse."

"The Savior and the Guardian."

"Yes."

She twisted her head to look up at his green, glittering face and golden eyes. She swallowed hard. "Did you...did you know-"

"No." He answered quickly. "I only ever saw...the obvious."

"So things could've been..."

"Don't do that. Don't do that to yourself, Belle."

"Why not? It's all a dream anyway. We don't have her. We never will."

"Because...Because I've done it every day for so long...Not just with my son, but...since the moment I laid eyes on her...Day, night, there is not a moment that I do not think of either of them, of you, and could have been for all of us if I'd never been such a coward."

"Rumpel..."

"Don't 'Rumpel' me." He playfully scowled at her with a twitch of the lips. Then it disappeared and his eyes grew pained yet again. "I deserve that kind of pain. You don't."He brushed her cheek with his knuckles. "Come. Let's get you to bed. We're going to have guests tomorrow and you need to be at your best."

* * *

_I hope to get another chapter up next week. Keep a look out._


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